So Much For “Silos”
In a previous blog I commented on the advantages and disadvantages of “silos”. I recently had two experiences that show the downside.
The first was when I wanted an update on a product I had ordered from a “kickstarter” project. I had emailed their “support@...” email address a number of times to ask what was going on, with no success. I then tried looking them up on Facebook and found they had a page. I immediately messaged them to ask why I hadn't received a reply to my enquiries to “support@...” I did get a message back (three days later) saying they were “shipping none stop” and that I should email “inquiries@...” instead to get a “faster” reply.
The second episode concerns a government department where I had to renew the validity of a document, but was told that the team that handled this particular document wasn’t in on the day I called and that I would have to come back two days later.
Dividing responsibilities amongst different departments, assigning different email addresses for different purposes and enquiries all make sense if it means that customers get services or responses in a timely manner. However, when it results in degradation of service or delays because “the other team/department/person” isn’t available, things need to change. It may be a simple case of changing shift patterns, cross-training or opening earlier/closing later.
I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My websiteprovides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Customer Care, Productivity, Strategy, Teamwork
posted by William Martin @ 15:38
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home